Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

ApprenticeshipsEarly careersLatest NewsLearning & development

Shorter, more flexible apprenticeships revealed by government

by Kavitha Sivasubramaniam 11 Feb 2025
by Kavitha Sivasubramaniam 11 Feb 2025 Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images
Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images

The government has revealed plans to cut red tape, allowing up to 10,000 more apprentices to qualify each year.

Announced during National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 10-16 February, the move will see the introduction of shorter and more flexible apprenticeships.

Under the new measures, employers will be given more flexibility over English and maths requirements. Organisations will be able to decide whether adult apprentices aged 19 or over must complete level 2 English and maths qualifications to pass their course.

The minimum duration of apprenticeships will also be cut from 12 to eight months to allow learners to qualify more quickly.

Apprenticeships

A third of financial services firms ‘missing out’ on apprenticeships

Tories pledge to scrap ‘rip-off’ degrees to fund apprenticeships

Most employers back guaranteed apprenticeships for young people

According to the government, these initiatives will help plug skills shortages in sectors with high demand, including healthcare, social care, and construction.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Growing the economy and opportunity for all are fundamental missions of our Plan for Change, and we are determined to support apprentices throughout this National Apprenticeship Week and beyond.

“Our new offer of shorter apprenticeships and less red tape strikes the right balance between speed and quality, helping achieve our number one mission to grow the economy.”

Rules that slow down workers’ training in certain sectors are also being changed as the government aims to “turbocharge growth industries”.

The changes to the minimum length of apprenticeships will be introduced from August 2025, subject to the legislative timetable, while changes to English and maths requirements are effective immediately.

At the same time, new leadership has been appointed for Skills England, the new nationwide body for skills, with Phil Smith taking on the role of chair and Sir David Bell becoming vice chair. Tessa Griffiths and Sarah Maclean will be joint CEOs, while Gemma Marsh will become deputy CEO.

The body will prioritise key shortage occupations to boost growth and meet the nation’s skills needs.

Craig Beaumont, executive director of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “It’s encouraging to see government shorten the length of apprenticeships, and give employers the right to decide whether level 2 English and maths is needed. These flexibilities should help SME employers fill skills gaps faster.”

Euan Blair MBE, founder and CEO of Multiverse, added: “This important announcement will do so much to widen and expand access to apprenticeships and should be welcomed as a move to put our skills system at the heart of the growth Mission.”

The measures follow the Prime Minister’s announcement last September, when he vowed to reform growth and skills opportunities to better support young people.

 

L&D job opportunities on Personnel Today

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Browse more L&D jobs

 

Kavitha Sivasubramaniam

Kavitha Sivasubramaniam is an experienced journalist, editor and communications professional who has been working in B2B publishing for more than 17 years. After graduating from Bournemouth University with a degree in Multi Media Journalism, Kavitha started her career in local and regional newspapers, before moving to consumer magazines and later trade titles, as well as PR. Specialising in pay and reward, she has been editor of a number of HR publications including Pay & Benefits, Employee Benefits, Benefits Expert, Reward and CIPP’s membership magazine, Professional. In June 2024, she won Pay, Reward and Employee Benefits Journalist of the Year at the Willis Towers Watson media awards. She was also named one of Each Person’s top 20 influential HR bloggers and managed a highly commended content team of the year in 2019.

previous post
Met Police cannot dismiss by vetting withdrawal
next post
CIPD appoints Chloe Smith as president

You may also like

Teacher apprenticeship route to be tied to school...

9 May 2025

High-level apprenticeship spend doubles in five years

16 Apr 2025

‘Clean power army’ to create thousands of jobs

7 Apr 2025

HR and businesses respond to Spring Statement

26 Mar 2025

Why the apprenticeship shakeup is good news for...

20 Mar 2025

Lower socio-economic background graduates ‘overlooked’ in hiring

7 Mar 2025

National Apprenticeship Week: Transforming the role of skills

14 Feb 2025

The future of apprenticeships: Why higher wages are...

14 Feb 2025

Tesco pledges 1,500 apprenticeship places by 2027

12 Feb 2025

Aviva apprenticeships: ‘When you invest in people, they...

10 Feb 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+